Pages

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

a new door opens and a sign gets run over

And so it begins. The new school year has officially begun. Meego started back last week, but really, that first week of high school seems like there's more homework for ME than for him. All those agreements to sign to say I read the syllabus and agree to all the class rules. Yup.

While out and about this week, I came across this "bad sign" at a busy intersection. Hmmm...

My classes officially started on Monday. It's nice to be back into the swing. Yesterday, I went to the university, and there were PEOPLE everywhere! I'd gotten used to the quietude of summer semester.

And today, I felt right back into it as I had a typically productive day... of procrastinating my classwork by doing a bunch of other things!

I've got two big boxes o' stuff here that the nice guys with the big truck are coming to pick up tomorrow. I reminded Meego and Magnum to go through their things for stuff that doesn't "spark joy".

Magnum says, "If I get rid of stuff, I can replace it with new".

That's the spirit!

In similar news, I was able to cut ties with Meego's old bicycle. He'd conveniently outgrown it in the spring, which is conveniently when his birthday is, and we conveniently got him a new one to celebrate. I fully intended to quickly sell the old one, but made the "mistake" of riding it one one day out of convenience.

Well, what a sweet little bicycle it was!

But here we are, three months later, and I realized I should let that bicycle go be friends with some other kid instead of this old lady who already has two bicycles. I snapped a couple of pics, but it took me another week until I was emotionally ready to place the ad.

Good ol' Albert

Then it sold within about three hours.

Chaco tells me I sell bicycles for too low a price, but I say I price them just right to hit my target market. My strategy came through again.

See, I price them so someone who doesn't really appreciate a nice bicycle will say, "PFFFT, I can get a NEW one at Walfarts for cheaper!"

But someone who knows a little about bicycles will say, "THAT'S a deal, what a good person that seller must be! I'm gonna buy that bicycle for my 13-year-old grandson right now!"

16 comments:

I love your attitude about pricing! When I get ride of used stuff, I am always happy to think that my beloved old thing will get a chance to "spark joy" with a new human :) I go back to my teaching job on Monday. I am in that frenzied state of needing to squeeze the maximum fun out of my remaining summer vacation. Happy school year!

My hubby and I were just discussing getting rid of stuff to give us the ability to be more mobile, and the hardest part is preparing emotionally for it. But, we did it with the motorcycles, we can do it with other stuff. I'm sure Albert will spark much joy in his new home. Happy first week of school to you! Let the procrastinating begin!

We tend to accumulate a lot of stuff/treasures over the years that are hard to get rid of. The German beer steins, the cheesy Volksmarch medals, the son's tricycle, old golf clubs, a shelf full of Beanie Babies, etc. All had some meaning or memory at some point in time. Hard to let some of those memories go, but there comes a time when we need to purge. We are in the reverse phase now - trying to offload stuff to make room and clear the clutter. It's a long, slow process.

I dimly recall how school used to start after Labor day a long, long time ago.

I think I'm below the average when it comes to putting sentimental value on things, and can usually purge with abandon. That bike could be pretty fun to ride, though. That grandkid better step away from the video games and ride it!

My large subdivision has a facebook page. It's really nice for selling stuff. My prices are cheap, according to my kids and the look on my husband's face. However, it goes fast or not at all. If I didn't do this, it would all go to Goodwill, so whatever I can get is okay.

I emptied Girl #3's closet racks and put the mounds of clothes on her bed. She had to tell me what "sparked joy" before it went back in. The kid thinks I'm nuts and told me not to ask that question not one more time! after the 10th time, which resulted in us getting it done faster. Ha!

I keep coming across that book ... the one that promises life-changing joy in tidying up. It's probably a sign that I should read it. This house could use some tidying and I would love to feel joy at the thought of someone else loving my unused stuff.

Joe and I are constantly shocked at how often the poor adults are required to attend the elementary school across the street. Don't they know that some parents have to work. (My question mark key is broken.)